Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's statement to the media at Parliament House on the start of the Budget session

Ladies and gentlemen, we are looking forward to a very productive, constructive session of Parliament. That is what our country’s people expect Parliament to do. We are meeting against the background of global slowdown of economic activity which has also affected us.

It is now a challenge for all of us to take credible action to ensure that we are least affected by this global slowdown. In this context, the way we conduct the financial business, now before Parliament, will be a crucial determinant of our country's ability to cope with the formidable challenges that our country faces. We look forward to the cooperation of all sections of the House. On our part, we wish to engage constructively, productively with all sections of the House in the expectation that there would be responsible dialogue, debate among members of Parliament.